Kegerator Kits

Your bar away from the bar

Build it or buy it?

Having that fresh, tap beer at home is tempting enough to try to figure out how to fit a keg to a refrigerator. Building a kegerator completely from scratch is a difficult task, but with the help of a kegerator kit, the process is a whole lot easier. And a little less expensive, too.

But if the handyman plan isn't for you, buying a beer kegerator is always an option. Used kegerators are always on the market, often starting at $250. Custom, logo kegerators bought new can sometimes run upwards of $1,000.

A typical kegerator, though, such as a Danby, runs an average of $300 to $500. Some kegerators can be bought to match your decor, such as the sleek Marvel with its stainless steel accents.

How to make a kegerator

Because making the ultimate kegerator tends to be more fun, personal, and less expensive, there are several kits available for you to choose from. But you should know what the process is before buying the kit. Here are some tips:

Pick your refrigerator: Again, consider the size of keg you'll typically buy. Smaller, 5-gallon kegs are normally only a foot in diameter, but a half keg can be up to 22 inches in diameter. Used fridges abound at garage sales or thrift stores, but make sure they close completely, have working lights and a working thermostat.

Decide how you want your tap mounted: Tower tap, standard door face tap on the refrigerator, or directly on the keg inside the kegerator.

Choose your kit: There are standard, one tap kits, dual keg kits, deluxe kits, or specific kits like the Heineken kegerator kit. Check the components of each kit to see which is right for you.

From here, each kit should have instruction on how to build them, but here are the basics:

Drill a hole through the outer wall into the inner wall of the refrigerator door, using a 1/4-inch drill bit.

Drill the outer wall with a 1 and 1/8-inch hole saw, then do the same to the inner wall for one hole all the way through. This is the faucet hole.

Measure down 10 inches from the center of the faucet hole, and attach your drip tray according to its instructions.

Attach shank and faucet to the refrigerator door.

Attach beer line to the shank, normally using a clamp supplied by the kit.

After this, follow the kit's instruction very carefully on how to attach the CO2 tank. Other accessories can make your kegerator more personal, like an LED thermometer, or a custom paint job.

If a kegerator kit is the way to go, put some thought into the components before you buy. But if you want to bypass the building, check out the kegerators available.

More information on kegerators

Other kegerator articles:

Kegerator Cleaning and Maintenance